A whole group of Levi’s friends came to join us for Sukkos and bring even more Sukkos joy into our gigantic sukkah! And there is room for you too!

The Midrash teaches that the four species represent four kinds of Jews. The esrog, which has both taste and fragrance, represents the Jew who has both Torah and mitzvos. The lulav, hadassim and aravos represent Jews whose Torah learning or mitzvah observance may be stronger in one area than another, or may still be developing.

Yet on Sukkos, we bring everyone together.

The esrog, lulav, hadassim and aravos all become part of one mitzvah. And then we enter the sukkah, a mitzvah that surrounds every one of us completely. We walk in with our whole selves, even with our dirty shoes. Inside the sukkah, every Jew is equally surrounded by the mitzvah.

But there is something fascinating.

If the message is to bring all four kinds of Jews together, why is the esrog not actually tied together with the lulav, hadassim and aravos?

Chassidic thought explains that the esrog, representing the Jew who possesses both Torah and mitzvos, remains separate from the bundle. Yet it cannot remain distant. It must be held right alongside the other three species. It is close to them, connected to them, and through that closeness it helps elevate them.

Perhaps there is a powerful lesson here.

The Jew who is strong in Torah and mitzvos is not meant to withdraw from other Jews. Quite the opposite.

Be close to everyone. Love everyone. Bring everyone together. Connect, engage and influence.

But even while coming close, the esrog remains an esrog.

Never forget who you are, what you stand for and the Torah and mitzvos that define your life. When you find yourself in environments or activities that do not strengthen Torah and mitzvos, make sure that you are there to influence, not to be influenced, while remaining firmly connected to who you really are.

That is true Jewish unity. Not becoming identical, but standing close enough to strengthen one another while each remains rooted in who they are.

This year, because the first day of Sukkos is Shabbos, we begin shaking the lulav and esrog on Sunday, the second day of Sukkos.

Stop by, come into the sukkah, shake the lulav and esrog, and add your own Sukkos joy. The complete schedule is below and on www.chabaduptown.org/sukkotschedule

There is always room for one more Jew in the sukkah!

Rabbi Chaim and Chanie

THE COHEN CORNER
A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

Most people think that getting out into nature means going backward. We leave behind our homes, our technology and the complexity of modern life, and return to something simpler and more primitive. At first glance, Sukkos seems to do exactly that. The Torah tells us that the sukkah reminds us of the Jewish people traveling through the desert, protected from the elements by Hashem’s miraculous Clouds of Glory. Thousands of years later, we leave our permanent homes, sit beneath branches and recreate that ancient experience. It seems like Sukkos is asking us to step out of the present and return, for a week, to our past. But there is a deeper message hidden in that return.

The sukkah is pushing us forward. Our permanent homes represent stability, security and routine, all of which are valuable, but they can also convince us that where we are is where we need to remain. The sukkah removes that illusion. We step outside the walls that make life feel settled and remember that we are still on a journey. There is still somewhere to go, something to become, and a world still waiting to be made more G-dly through one more intentional action.

Have a joyous Sukkos!
Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES & EVENTS:
www.chabaduptown.org/celebrate

• Fri. & Sat. Sept. 25 & 26, 7 pm -  Community Sukkot Dinners Under the Stars
• Tues. Sept. 29, 12 pm - Sukkot Lunch & Learn - Enjoy an upscale lunch in the Sukkah with like-minded friends for a spirited Torah class and meaningful discussion.
• Tues. Sept. 29, 7 pm - Sukkot Men's Social: Sushi & Scotch in the Sukkah - Join us in the Sukkah for a relaxed guys’ night with fresh sushi, a great selection of Scotch, and plenty of good company. Enjoy a l’chaim, catch up with friends, meet some new faces, and spend a great Sukkos evening together under the schach.. chabaduptown.org/guys
• Wed. Sept. 30. 8 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social - In the Sukkah! www.yjphouston.org/wednesdays
• Thursday, October 1, 6:30 pm - Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot w/ YJP, YAD & Olami - Join young professionals in their twenties and thirties for an evening of magic, dinner, drinks and joy in the Sukkah under the Stars! www.yjphouston.org
• Friday, Oct. 2 6:45 pm -  YJP October First Fridays Shemini Atzeres Edition - Simchas Torah warm-up brief dancing and dinner in the sukkah www.yjphouston.org/pinkatzeres
• Shabbos. Oct. 3 12:15 pm -  Shemini Atzeret Yizkor  with special Service to Honor the Memory of the Oct. 7 massacre
• Shabbos, Oct. 3, 6:45 pm - Saturday Night ALIVE! Simchat Torah Uptown - Dance like a Star!

SUKKOS, CHOL HAMOED & SIMCHAS TORAH SCHEDULE
14-23 TISHREI 5787 | SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 4, 2026

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 14 TISHREI
EREV SUKKOT
6:56 pm: Light Shabbat & Holiday Candles
7:00 pm: Mincha & Evening Services
Community Sukkot Dinner Under the Stars
RSVP: ChabadUptown.org/sukkotdinner

SHABBOS, SEPTEMBER 26, 15 TISHREI
SUKKOT DAY 1
Lulav & Etrog are not used on Shabbos
9:00 am: Chassidus Torah Study
10:00 am: Morning Services
Kiddush Lunch in the Sukkah
7:00 pm: Mincha & Evening Services
After 7:49 pm: Light Holiday Candles
Community Sukkot Dinner Under the Stars
RSVP: ChabadUptown.org/sukkotdinner
Yaknehaz: Special Kiddush / Shabbos Havdalla Combination

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 16 TISHREI
SUKKOT DAY 2
7:13 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog
9:00 am: Chassidus Torah Study
10:00 am: Morning Services
Kiddush Lunch in the Sukkah
A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use
7:00 pm: Mincha & Evening Services
7:47 pm: Maariv, Havdallah & Holiday Ends
Living Torah

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 17 TISHREI
CHOL HAMOED SUKKOT DAY 1
7:00 am: Shacharis
7:14 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog
A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 18 TISHREI
CHOL HAMOED SUKKOT DAY 2
7:00 am: Shacharis
7:14 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog
A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use
12:00 pm: Sukkot Lunch & Learn RSVP: ChabadUptown.org/lunch
6:45 pm: Guys Sushi & Scotch in the Sukkah RSVP: ChabadUptown.org/guys

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 19 TISHREI
CHOL HAMOED SUKKOT DAY 3
7:00 am: Shacharis
7:15 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog
A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use
8:00 pm: YJP Dinner, Class & Social in the Sukkah YJPHouston.org/wednesdays

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 20 TISHREI
CHOL HAMOED SUKKOT DAY 4
7:00 am: Shacharis
7:15 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog
A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use
6:30 pm: Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot with YJP, YAD & Olami RSVP: YJPHouston.org/SukkotSmoke

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 21 TISHREI
HOSHANA RABBAH
7:00 am: Shacharis Hoshana Rabba Special Service
7:16 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog
Final day of the mitzvah. A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use.

SHEMINI ATZERES & SIMCHAS TORAH
FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 2
SHEMINI ATZERES
6:45 pm: Mincha & Evening Services
6:48 pm: Light Shabbos & Holiday Candles
YJP October First Fridays: Shemini Atzeres Pink Edition
Simchas Torah Warm Up, Brief Dancing & Dinner in the Sukkah
RSVP for First Fridays: YJPHouston.org/PinkAtzeres

SHABBOS, OCTOBER 3, 22 TISHREI
SHEMINI ATZERES
10:00 am: Morning Services
12:15 pm: Yizkor Memorial Service
Including a special service honoring the memory of those murdered in the October 7 massacre
Tefillas Geshem
Final opportunity to eat in the Sukkah
6:45 pm: SIMCHAS TORAH SATURDAY NIGHT ALIVE!
Grand Hakafot & Family Celebration
Celebratory dancing, refreshments & tremendous Simchas Torah joy
Details: ChabadUptown.org/Joy
After 7:40 pm: Light Holiday Candles
Yaknehaz: Special Kiddush / Shabbos Havdalla Combination

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 23 TISHREI
SIMCHAS TORAH
10:00 am: Morning Services
Hakafot & Celebratory Dancing
Mincha after Musaf
7:00 pm: Seder Niggunim
7:39 pm: Maariv, Havdallah & Holiday Ends
Living Torah

What a beautiful beginning to 5787!

Our Rosh Hashanah Community and Sefardi services were filled to overflowing, with an incredible crowd coming together to daven, hear the shofar, celebrate Yom Tov, and begin the new year as one community.

A special thank you to Chazzan Daniel Gavin for beautifully leading the davening, to Sara Tehilla, Elana, and Chanale for the wonderful children’s programs, and to Chanie for the decadent Yom Tov meals that brought everyone together around the table.

The photo captures some of those who stayed together after services for Havdalah and Living Torah, one more special moment of learning and connection at the close of a beautiful day.

Now, during Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Teshuvah, the focus turns inward.

This weekend is Shabbos Shuva, the special Shabbos between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It is a time to think more deeply about what Teshuvah is really about. Not simply looking back at what we may have done wrong, but returning to who we truly are, strengthening our relationship with Hashem, and preparing ourselves to enter Yom Kippur with greater meaning and purpose.

Below you will find the complete schedule and customs for Shabbos Shuva and Yom Kippur. We hope you will join us for Sunday & Monday for Kol Nidrei, Yizkor, Neilah, Break the Fast, and throughout these sacred days.

Gmar Chasima Tova. May we all be sealed for a good and sweet year.

Rabbi Chaim and Chanie

THE COHEN CORNER
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.

In this week’s parsha, Haazinu, Moshe says that Hashem “found” the Jewish people in the desert. Of course, Hashem knew exactly where they were. He had led them there. Rashi explains that what Hashem “found” was something within the Jewish people: a depth of faith they had never been called upon to show before. They followed Hashem into an empty and uncertain desert, trusting Him beyond what reason alone could justify. Sometimes it takes an unfamiliar or demanding situation to reveal just how deep a relationship really runs.

The same is true of our Judaism. It is easy to connect when Judaism is comfortable or inspiring. Real growth asks us to discover something more within ourselves. As we begin a new year, each of us can identify an area of Jewish life that represents a personal stretch, whether quantitatively, by doing more, or qualitatively, by bringing greater depth and commitment to what we already do. Sometimes we only discover what we are capable of when we reach beyond where we are today.

Have a marvelous Shabbos!

Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

• Mazel tov to Yehoshua & Sigal (Melnik) Rothman on the birth of a baby boy!
• We send sincere condolences to Seth & Rivka Weisberg on the passing of her mother.

Chabad of Uptown looks forward to celebrating the holidays with you. Our doors are to the entire Jewish community to daven and to celebrate, regardless of background or affiliation. For the complete schedule of services, to RSVP for the Yom Kippur Break Fast, Sukkot dinners or lunches, visit www.chabaduptown.org/services.

Now is also the time to join or renew your voluntary membership to Chabad. Your partnership allows us to provide free, open and welcoming services to all, for the holidays and year round! www.chabaduptown.org/membership

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES & EVENTS:
www.chabaduptown.org/celebrate

• Sun.-Mon., Sept. 20-21 - Yom Kippur Services and Break Fast
• Wednesday, September 23, 8:00 pm - YJP & Moishe Pod Wednesday Dinner, Class & Social
• Fri. & Sat. Sept. 25 & 26, 7 pm -  Community Sukkot Dinners Under the Stars
• Tues. Sept. 29, 12 pm - Sukkot Lunch & Learn - Enjoy an upscale lunch in the Sukkah with like-minded friends for a spirited Torah class and meaningful discussion.
• Tues. Sept. 29, 7 pm - Sukkot Men's Social: Sushi & Scotch in the Sukkah - Join us in the Sukkah for a relaxed guys’ night with fresh sushi, a great selection of Scotch, and plenty of good company. Enjoy a l’chaim, catch up with friends, meet some new faces, and spend a great Sukkos evening together under the schach.. chabaduptown.org/guys
• Thursday, October 1, 6:30 pm - Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot w/ YJP, YAD & Olami - Join young professionals in their twenties and thirties for an evening of magic, dinner, drinks and joy in the Sukkah under the Stars! www.yjphouston.org
• Friday, Oct. 2 6:45 pm -  YJP October First Fridays Shemini Atzeres Edition - Simchas Torah warm-up brief dancing and dinner in the sukkah www.yjphouston.org/pinkatzeres
• Shabbos. Oct. 3 12:15 pm -  Shemini Atzeret Yizkor  with special Service to Honor the Memory of the Oct. 7 massacre
• Shabbos, Oct. 3, 6:45 pm - Saturday Night ALIVE! Simchat Torah Uptown - Dance like a Star!

SHABBOS SHUVA & YOM KIPPUR SCHEDULE & CUSTOMS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, TISHREI 7
7:00 pm Mincha & Shabbos Service
7:05 pm Shabbat Candle Lighting

• Custom to Light 24 hr "Teshuvah Candle"

Followed by  Shabbat Dinner, RSVP

SHABBOS SHUVA, SEPTEMBER 19, TISHREI 8
9:00 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Shuva Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen 
7:05 pm Mincha
Study of Laws of Yom Kippur & Sukkot
7:57 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

YOM KIPPUR 5787
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, TISHREI 9

• After 3 am & before 5:54 am ideal time for Kapparos (with money) 

8:00 am Shacharis
No Mizmor Lesoda, Tachanun or Avinu Malkeinu in Shacharis

• Ask for Lekach
• Men Receive Malkus
• Men's Mikvah (10900 Fondren Rd) 9 am - 6 pm. Non-members $5/adult, $2/child, $2 Towel
• Before Chatzos, 1:14 pm, eat Festive Meal with Challah dipped in honey & fish.

2:00 pm Mincha with Al Chet

• Eat festive meal with Kreplach
• Light 24 hour "Living Candle" for whole Family
• Light an additional 24 hour Yizkor Candle for those who say Yizkor

7:03 pm Light Holiday Candles and Fast Begins
Blessings: Lehadlik Ner Shel Yom HaKippurim & Shehechiyanu

7:00 pm Kol Nidrei
Simultaneous Main & Sefardi Services
7:00-8:30 pm Children’s Program

• Five YK Restrictions: No Eating or Drinking, Washing Body, Lotions, Leather Shoes or Intimacy

YOM KIPPUR, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, TISHREI 10
7:00 am Sefardi Sunrise Minyan
9:30 am Community Morning Service
11:30 am-1:00 pm Children’s Program
12:30 pm Yizkor Memorial Service
4:30 pm Sefardi Mincha
6:00 pm Mincha Afternoon Service
7:00 pm Neilah Closing Service
7:55 pm Havdallah and Fast Ends
Break the Fast Buffet following Services, RSVP required

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, TISHREI 13
6:45 am Shacharis

As we stand at the doorway of a new year, we want to pause for a moment and say something from the heart.

A community is not built by one person, one family, or even one group of people. It is built by every individual who chooses to be part of it.

Some give generously. Some volunteer their time. Some help organize, cook, set up, clean up, teach, encourage, introduce a friend, or quietly lend a hand when it is needed. Some come every week, and some we may not see nearly as often as we would like.

But every one of you matters.

Sometimes, even when you are not physically here, simply knowing that you are part of this community, that you care, that you are connected, and that we can count on one another makes a real difference.

We feel deeply grateful for the privilege of sharing this community with you. The friendships, the simchas, the challenges, the ordinary moments and the special ones all weave together into something that feels like family.

As Rosh Hashanah begins, we want to wish you and your family a Kesiva Vachasima Tova, L’Shana Tova U’Mesukah.

Please join us at 12:15 pm on Sunday as we stand together as a community to hear the shofar blown.

May this longest possible complete year be filled to the max with Hashem’s brachos. May every bracha you are hoping for, every tefillah you are carrying in your heart, and every good thing you wish for your family be fulfilled in the fullest and sweetest way.

Thank you for being part of our community. It truly would not be the same without you.

With much love,

Rabbi Chaim and Chanie

THE COHEN CORNER
New Year’s resolutions are familiar, and Rosh Hashanah similarly calls us to make positive resolutions in Torah and mitzvot. Yet we know how quickly resolutions can disappear. The problem is that most resolutions are based on what we want for ourselves. We want to be healthier, more productive, or more fulfilled. But human desires constantly compete. The person who sincerely decides to wake up early and exercise can wake up the next morning and sincerely decide that sleep is much more important. When one personal desire motivates a commitment, another personal desire can easily override it.

Teshuvah approaches change differently. It is not simply the desire to become a better version of myself, but the recognition that I am here to serve Hashem and can serve Him better than I have until now. When the commitment is about what Hashem wants from me, it is no longer competing with every other thing I happen to want that day. So choose one practical commitment this Rosh Hashanah: make Kiddush every Friday night, study the daily portion of Chumash, or volunteer to help the less fortunate. There will be days when we don't particularly feel like it. But when the commitment is rooted in what Hashem wants from us, it no longer depends on whether we feel inspired that day. That is how the inspiration of Rosh Hashanah can become something we carry with us throughout the year.

K’siva Vachasima Tova, L’Shana Tova Umesuka!
Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

Chabad of Uptown looks forward to celebrating the holidays with you. Our doors are to the entire Jewish community to daven and to celebrate, regardless of background or affiliation. For the complete schedule of services, to RSVP for holiday dinners or lunches, visit www.chabaduptown.org/services.

Now is also the time to join or renew your voluntary membership to Chabad. Your partnership allows us to provide free, open and welcoming services to all, for the holidays and year round! www.chabaduptown.org/membership

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES & EVENTS:
www.chabaduptown.org/celebrate

• Fri.-Sun., Sept. 11-13 - FREE Rosh Hashana Services, RSVP for Dinner and Luncheons
• Wednesday, September 16, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
• Sun.-Mon., Sept. 20-21 - Yom Kippur Services and Break Fast
• Fri. & Sat. Sept. 25 & 26, 7 pm -  Community Sukkot Dinners Under the Stars
• Tues. Sept. 29, 12 pm - Sukkot Lunch & Learn - Enjoy an upscale lunch in the Sukkah with like-minded friends for a spirited Torah class and meaningful discussion.
• Tues. Sept. 29, 7 pm - Sukkot Men's Social: Sushi & Scotch in the Sukkah - Join us in the Sukkah for a relaxed guys’ night with fresh sushi, a great selection of Scotch, and plenty of good company. Enjoy a l’chaim, catch up with friends, meet some new faces, and spend a great Sukkos evening together under the schach..
• Thursday, October 1, 6:30 pm - Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot w/ YJP, YAD & Olami - Join young professionals in their twenties and thirties for an evening of magic, dinner, drinks and joy in the Sukkah under the Stars! www.yjphouston.org
• Friday, Oct. 2 6:45 pm -  YJP October First Fridays Shemini Atzeres Edition - Simchas Torah warm-up brief dancing and dinner in the sukkah
• Shabbos. Oct. 3 12:15 pm -  Shemini Atzeret Yizkor  with special Service to Honor the Memory of the Oct. 7 massacre
• Shabbos, Oct. 3, 6:45 pm - Saturday Night ALIVE! Simchat Torah Uptown - Dance like a Star!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, ELUL 29
7:14 pm Light Holiday & Shabbat Candles

• Blessings: Shel Shabbat V'Shel Yom Hazikaron & Shehechiyanu

7:15 pm Community Evening Service
7:15-8:45 pm Children’s Program
Community Holiday Dinner following Services, RSVP required

• Hamotzi Dipped in Honey, then Apples Dipped in Honey
• Eat from the Head of FIsh and Pomegranate in Meal

SHABBOS, SEPTEMBER 12, TISHREI 1
FIRST DAY ROSH HASHANAH
6:30 am Sefardi Sunrise Minyan
9:30 am Community Morning Services
11:30 am-1:00 pm Children’s Program

• No Shofar Service on Shabbos

Holiday Lunch Kiddush, RSVP

• Hamotzi Dipped in Honey

7:00 pm Mincha Service

• AFTER 8:06 pm Light Holiday Candles from an existing flame, with the New Fruit present and in mind for Shehechiyanu. (Blessings: Shel Yom Hazikaron & Shehechiyanu)

8:06 pm Community Evening Service
Community Holiday Dinner following Services, RSVP required

• Special Rosh Hashana Kiddush with Havdalla with New Fruit Present and in mind for Shehechiyanu
• Before Hamotzi, Eat New Fruit. Hamotzi Dipped in Honey.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, TISHREI 2
SECOND DAY ROSH HASHANAH
6:30 am Sefardi Sunrise Minyan
9:30 am Community Morning Services
11:30 am-1:00 pm Children’s Program
Approx. 12:15 pm Shofar Service
Holiday Lunch Kiddush, RSVP

• Hamotzi Dipped in Honey

6:15 pm Mincha Service
6:45 pm Community Tashlich Walk
8:05 pm Maariv, Havdallah and Holiday Ends

• Havdallah with wine only, no spices or flame

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, TISHREI 3
TZOM GEDALIAH
5:50 am Fast Begins
6:45 am Shacharis with Torah Reading
7:00 pm Mincha with Torah Reading
7:52 pm Fast Ends

THURSDAY, SEPT. 17, TISHREI 6
6:45 am Shacharis

The Bee Stings. So Why Is Honey the Symbol of a Sweet New Year?

One of the most familiar traditions of Rosh Hashanah is dipping an apple into honey and saying, “May it be Your will to renew for us a good and sweet year.”

But why an apple? Why specifically bee honey? If the goal is simply sweetness, why not dip a grape in sugar or a peach in date honey?

The apple carries a message. When our forefather Jacob entered to receive the blessings from his father Isaac, Isaac said, “The fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field blessed by G-d.” Our sages explain that the fragrance of the Garden of Eden entered with Jacob. Jewish mystical teaching describes this realm as a holy apple orchard.

The apple therefore represents more than taste. It recalls Jacob’s blessing and expresses our hope for a year filled with warmth, harmony and closeness to G-d. It symbolizes blessings we recognize immediately, such as good health, loving family, meaningful friendships, peace and success.

Yet the apple is already sweet. Why dip it into bee honey rather than date honey?

Date honey comes from a naturally sweet fruit. Bee honey comes from a creature that can sting. Remarkably, the very creature capable of causing pain also produces extraordinary sweetness. The sting is not a problem with the symbolism. It is the heart of it.

Bee honey represents transformation. It reminds us that G-d can not only bring sweetness into our lives, but can also transform what might otherwise sting into revealed blessing. Some experiences begin with disappointment or pain, yet later awaken strength, deepen relationships or open unexpected doors.

Still, Judaism does not ask us to seek hardship or pretend that pain is pleasant. Quite the opposite. We ask for goodness that is clear and immediately recognizable.

That is why we pray for both a “good” and a “sweet” year. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s father, explained that something may be good in its spiritual source without feeling sweet to the person experiencing it. On Rosh Hashanah, we ask for more. We pray for health that feels healthy, relationships filled with visible joy, livelihood without anxiety and opportunities accompanied by clarity and peace of mind.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe also drew a lesson from the bee itself. The bee has a stinger, but its primary purpose is to produce honey. The same should be true of us. Our defining purpose should be to create sweetness, to help, encourage and bring people closer. Firmness may sometimes be necessary, but it should never become who we are.

Perhaps this is why we dip the apple into honey. The apple represents blessings that are sweet from the beginning. The honey represents the power to transform what might otherwise sting.

As we perform this simple custom, we ask for goodness we can see, feel, share and celebrate. May the coming year be good, visibly good and genuinely sweet for us all.

No Jew should be alone on Rosh Hashanah. At Chabad of Uptown, our doors are always open, and you are warmly invited to join us as we welcome the new year together and make the holiday a little sweeter. Check out the full schedule of programming at chabaduptown.org/celebrate

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie Lazaroff

THE COHEN CORNER
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn

In Moshe’s final words to the Jewish people, he teaches them two mitzvos that answer one question: how will Judaism remain alive long after the generation of Sinai is gone? Hakhel gathered the entire nation in Yerushalayim to hear the Torah from the king and relive Sinai, as though the Torah were being given to them at that moment. But Hakhel happened only once in seven years. How could that experience remain alive wherever a Jew might be? The final mitzvah of the Torah provides the answer: write a Torah scroll of your own and keep it with you. Hakhel recreated our national encounter with Hashem; the Sefer Torah makes that encounter personal, bringing Sinai into our own home and life.

There is a Judaism we can know, respect and even practice, yet still experience from the outside, like something studied in a laboratory. And then there is a Judaism that becomes our own story. On this final Shabbos of the year, perhaps we should ask ourselves: Did my Judaism become more mine this year? Was there a moment when Torah spoke directly to me, when a mitzvah became something I genuinely valued? As we enter a new year, the goal is to experience the Judaism we inherited deeply enough that it truly becomes our own. That is how Judaism remains alive.

Have an inspiring Shabbos!

Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

Chabad of Uptown looks forward to celebrating the holidays with you. Our doors are to the entire Jewish community to daven and to celebrate, regardless of background or affiliation. For the complete schedule of services, to RSVP for holiday dinners or lunches, visit www.chabaduptown.org/services.

Now is also the time to join or renew your voluntary membership to Chabad. Your partnership allows us to provide free, open and welcoming services to all, for the holidays and year round! www.chabaduptown.org/membership

THIS WEEK AT CHABAD:

• Shabbos, Sept 5, 9:30 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
• Wednesday, September 9, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
• Thursday, September 10, 8:00 pm - Evening Chassidus

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES & EVENTS:
www.chabaduptown.org/celebrate

• Fri.-Sun., Sept. 11-13 - FREE Rosh Hashana Services, RSVP for Dinner and Luncheons
• Sun.-Mon., Sept. 20-21 - Yom Kippur Services and Break Fast
• Fri. & Sat. Sept. 25 & 26, 7 pm -  Community Sukkot Dinners Under the Stars
• Tues. Sept. 29, 12 pm - Sukkot Lunch & Learn - Enjoy an upscale lunch in the Sukkah with like-minded friends for a spirited Torah class and meaningful discussion.
• Tues. Sept. 29, 7 pm - Sukkot Men's Social: Sushi & Scotch in the Sukkah - Join us in the Sukkah for a relaxed guys’ night with fresh sushi, a great selection of Scotch, and plenty of good company. Enjoy a l’chaim, catch up with friends, meet some new faces, and spend a great Sukkos evening together under the schach..
• Thursday, October 1, 6:30 pm - Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot w/ YJP, YAD & Olami - Join young professionals in their twenties and thirties for an evening of magic, dinner, drinks and joy in the Sukkah under the Stars! www.yjphouston.org
• Friday, Oct. 2 6:45 pm -  YJP October First Fridays Shemini Atzeres Edition - Simchas Torah warm-up brief dancing and dinner in the sukkah
• Shabbos. Oct. 3 12:15 pm -  Shemini Atzeret Yizkor  with special Service to Honor the Memory of the Oct. 7 massacre
• Shabbos, Oct. 3, 6:45 pm - Saturday Night ALIVE! Simchat Torah Uptown - Dance like a Star!

SHABBOS SELICHOS PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYELECH

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, ELUL 22
7:22 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
RSVP for Sweet & Sour Sept. First Fridays Shabbat Dinner www.yjphouston.org/sweetsour

SHABBOS, SEPTEMBER 5, ELUL 23
8:00 am Shabbos "Mevarchim" Tehillim
9:30 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Selichos Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen 
7:20 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 5 & 6
8:15 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SELICHOS
Saturday night, Sept. 5 / Sunday, Sept 6
Farbrengen at 11 pm
Selichos at 1:15 am

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, ELUL 24
8:00 am Shacharis

MONDAY & THURSDAY, SEPT. 7 & 10, ELUL 18 & 21
6:15 am Selchos
6:45 am Shacharis

During the month of Elul:
We reciting Psalm 27, L’David Hashem Ori, daily
We blow the Elul shofar after Shacharis each day through Erev Rosh Hashanah.
We recite the daily chapters of Tehillim as divided by the Baal Shem Tov for the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur.

Friday, Erev Roshana, Sept. 11: Selichos, No Tachanun, No Shofar, Hataras Nedarim (Annulment of Vows)